Featured
Beginning her sixth year on city council, Brook Bassan will lead it
Published
Modified
Brook Bassan, the stay-at-home mother and sa国际传媒官网网页入口 native who has spent the past five years representing the city鈥檚 Northeast side on the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 City Council, has been elected council president.
Her election comes on a unanimous vote and via a nomination from the council鈥檚 鈥� now former 鈥� Vice President Ren茅e Grout.
The council president is tasked with holding decorum in the chambers and leading council meetings.
For vice president, Bassan nominated the council鈥檚 most-tenured member, Klarissa Pe帽a, who represents the Southwest side of the city. Pe帽a was elected to the position by the council.
Grout was chosen to head the committee of the whole, which Pe帽a chaired last year.
The appointments come following a year that saw City Councilor Dan Lewis, one of Mayor Tim Keller鈥檚 fiercest critics, head the council. Bassan and Lewis have often voted together on legislation.
Five of the council鈥檚 nine members are up for election this year. Pe帽a, Grout and Lewis鈥檚 seats will be on the ballot in November, as will Louie Sanchez and Tammy Fiebelkorns鈥�.
Keller is also up for reelection and announced in August that he would run again, chasing the unachieved feat of serving three consecutive terms as sa国际传媒官网网页入口 mayor.
Bassan was first elected in 2019, beating Ane Romero in a runoff election and replacing Councilor Brad Winter, who represented the district for two decades.
While she cruised to a win in the 2019 runoff, getting 7% more of the vote than Romero, Bassan faced a much stronger challenge in 2023 from attorney Abby Foster.
Foster鈥檚 bid to unseat Bassan earned 5,075 ballots while Bassan brought in 5,228.
Prior to wielding the gavel, Bassan chaired the Land Use, Planning, & Zoning Committee in 2024 and also sat on the Intergovernmental and Legislative Relations Agency and Accountability in Government Oversight Committee.
While Bassan represents a traditionally Republican district and has a moderate-Republican voting record, she crossed (unofficial) party lines at the council鈥檚 last meeting to be the deciding vote on a bill from Fiebelkorn, one of the most progressive councilors, that requires landlords to provide tenants cooling.
Correction: This story and headline have been updated to reflect the amount of time Bassan has served on the council and clarify the process to which Pe帽a became VP.
